Worldwide shipping firms were no doubt among the beneficiaries of a strong second quarter for online retailer Amazon.

The good results could also mean more people are staying at home and relying on a courier delivery service for their shopping.

The online retailer reported net sales revenue in the second quarter of 2010 of £4.2 billion, up by 41 per cent on the same three-month period the year before.

Net income rose in the second quarter of 2010 by 45 per cent compared to the same three months in 2009, up to £133 million.

Amazon founder and chief executive officer Jeff Bezos believes that a lot of the growth has come from people buying online - using mobile devices such as smartphones.

He explained: "We're also encouraged by what we see in mobile."